We all know that school can be tough for any child, but a new community initiative is underway to help reduce anxiety in the classroom and encourage learning for students, and it is all thanks to some 4-legged friends.
The program is called “Priority Pups” and was created by Priority Health in partnership with Canines for Change. Charletta Dennis, the Director of Behavioral Health with Priority Health, Dr. Marni Goodwin, the Puppy Director with Canines for Change, and Auncia McCullough, the head Trainer with Canines For Change, joined Host Tati Amare in the studio with Pipper, one of the dogs in training, to talk more about it.
This program is a part of Priority Health’s “Priority Health for Good” initiative and is meant to decrease anxiety and help improve the learning environments for the schools in Michigan. Their goal is to place 5 pups in schools throughout Michigan in the coming months and to hopefully increase that over time.
According to Dennis, about 50% of parents express concerns about their children’s mental health wellness and about 1 in 5 children will have a mental health concern. Since schooling is a large part of children’s lives and a social determiner of health, they wanted to focus on improving the educational environment, making it a more loving and encouraging place.
The first pup in the program was placed in a Muskegeon school. After much success there, they want to bring the program to Detroit.
Canines For Change is a nonprofit out of Grand Ledge Michigan that helps to train pups for a variety of purposes, including for placement in schools and other facilities. McCullough talked about how they train their dogs. Piper really excels at the cuddle command, a tool they use to help calm stress, anxiety, and nervousness in the students.
School districts are chosen based on their relationship with Priority health, determinants of health, rates of poverty, and mental health crises.
To see the full interview, watch the video above.
For more information on the Priority Pups program click or tap here.